SkyCity Centre Winnipeg | 45F | 575 Ft | 175.26 M | Cancelled

[urbandreamer]

I hope the value engineering knocks the silly hat off, simplifies the exterior window dressing and improves the podium's aesthetics. I know Kirkor can do better.

Edenshaw's Dundas West rental project isn't bad. Chaz has tacky architecture especially compaAred to its neighbours.

Fortress and Empire & Lamb Dev Corp partnerships seem to work out ok. My advice to newbie developers is to start small. How about some townhomes in Winnipeg?

[Biff]

Oh, please don't knock off the "silly hat". I'm sure it could be designed differently but I am so excited to finally get a building in downtown that doesn't have a flat top. It is slated to have lighting which is much needed as well.

[esquire]

Originally Posted by Biff

Oh, please don't knock off the "silly hat". I'm sure it could be designed differently but I am so excited to finally get a building in downtown that doesn't have a flat top. It is slated to have lighting which is much needed as well.

I agree, I think the peak adds a nice distinctive touch. And if the tower gets built, it will become the focal point of the city's skyline.

That said, I can't imagine how it wouldn't be squarely in the crosshairs for the value engineering phase.

[urbandreamer]

I'm not opposed to pitched roofs on highrises if they provide value like:
http://www.tallshipsraceshelsinki.fi...norama_stn.jpg

[bomberjet]

There's going to be a lounge/whatever area in the top hat thing. With high glass ceilings and walls. So it will function as something, which adds value IMO.

[drew]

Originally Posted by esquire

That said, I can't imagine how it wouldn't be squarely in the crosshairs for the value engineering phase.

It is certainly a high cost, and relatively low importance item.

I think its primary function is to exaggerate the height of the building.

That being said, even without it - with 45, 9ft finished ceiling height floors (plus mechanical levels) - this will end up being the tallest building in Winnipeg.

[urbandreamer]

Oh and another value engineering trick they use in Toronto: 8-8.5' ceiling heights.

So here's how they'll get this built:
1)Knock that hat off including the roof top amenities
2)lower ceiling heights: 8'-8'6"
3)2-3 storey flat-roofed podium with above grade parking
4)more units/floor: 12 instead of 11?
5)cheaper HVAC/elevator/plumbing stacks
6)under 35 storeys
7)simplified/cheaper window wall dressing
8)less amenities--the real amenity should be the location
9)lower grade cabinetry/flooring/appliances
10)smaller balconies
11)redesigned concrete forms using less material
12)delete the CRU

I would rather see 4-5 midrise buildings on the site.

[esquire]

Originally Posted by urbandreamer

I'm not opposed to pitched roofs on highrises if they provide value like:
http://www.tallshipsraceshelsinki.fi...norama_stn.jpg

Interesting. Makes me wonder why the developer wouldn't make the peak a habitable space as shown in that pic. A small handful (half dozen or fewer) spacious penthouse units could potentially be sold for a pretty penny. Considering that it could be a long time before Skycity's height gets surpassed, you'd think there would be some appeal to the idea of living in the city's tallest residences.

There aren't many big ticket condo buyers in Winnipeg, but they do exist... this Osborne Village built around 2000 or so sold most of its units (1 per floor) for around a million bucks a pop at a time when you could still buy a nice single family home for $150K or a nice condo for $60K.

[bomberjet]

Isn't that building half empty right now Esquire, if you know? Suite 400 up for sale right now for $1.7M.

[esquire]

Originally Posted by bomberjet

Isn't that building half empty right now Esquire, if you know? Suite 400 up for sale right now for $1.7M.

I don't think it was ever fully occupied as the last couple of bare-wall units took years to sell. I think members of the Asper family owned several of the floors... I'm not exactly sure but I think they may have been the impetus for its development in the first place.

That said, Skycity has much more of a cool factor than 1 Wellington which definitely skews to an older taste... I could easily see some whiz kids like the Skip the Dishes crew or some other successful youngsters being interested in living at the top of Skycity.

[Urban recluse]

Originally Posted by urbandreamer

I hope the value engineering knocks the silly hat off, simplifies the exterior window dressing and improves the podium's aesthetics. I know Kirkor can do better.

Edenshaw's Dundas West rental project isn't bad. Chaz has tacky architecture especially compaAred to its neighbours.

Fortress and Empire & Lamb Dev Corp partnerships seem to work out ok. My advice to newbie developers is to start small. How about some townhomes in Winnipeg?

Thank you. The top looks like a complete waste of material, and it looks like a huge f*ckin movie screen. Huge blank walls are not visually appealing.

[Finessing]

Google Reviews of Fortress Real Developments (it has a 1 star rating from everybody):

Just look at these reviews, research the company. These are guys with glossy marketing materials and a large advertising budget. but run by modern day snake oil salesmen. If a friend or family member tries to invite you into one of these investments, it's because they are getting a referral fee from the company. Please cut that person out of your life. These guys have some many projects going sideways, i would strongly recommend against investing with them . Myself and 3 other friends have invested in 3 separate projects.. all are overdue, and we don't have any answers from the company. We can not get anyone to speak to us or call us back! we've now hired a lawyer. stay away!

Have had my money stuck in a project for over a year and a half. Can't seem to get an update. No one returns emails or calls. and when they do answer the phone you get the run-around. So many empty promises made to me from various people in this organization. Please do yourself a favour and read up on their current lawsuit at the Collier Center in Barrie, ONT. Stay away! and if you're invested already start demanding answers.

Worst mortgage investment EVER!!! Harmony Village isn't the only botched up investment they have. Wouldn't want to invest with this company again.

I would give these people a 0 out of 100 if I could.
Terrible customer service, between Fortress Real Capital and FFM Capital Inc. (run by Tony Mazzolli and Krishan Kochhar).
They were quick to take my money but 1.5 years after my investment should have been paid out, I can not get an update on the development.
Dozens of emails and calls have gone ignored to, and when I do speak with them they don't have any answers for me. My project hasn't even broken ground yet 1.5 years after it should have been paid out, and I have no clue is I will ever see my initial investment again!!
Project: Mapleview Commons (Keele & Major Mac)

Just spoke with Dillon in "Client Services" regarding an update for the project Harmony Village, however he was unable to provide any relevant information. I'm tired of robotic human beings.

[bomberjet]

Yes we know. Most of us (all?) have zero money involved in this and like tall buildings. Really don't give a hoot about the financials.

[OakbluffMB]

+1

Originally Posted by bomberjet

Yes we know. Most of us (all?) have zero money involved in this and like tall buildings. Really don't give a hoot about the financials.

I'm sure there are bad google reviews for RBC, TD, BMO, BCE, Great-West Life, Manulife & plenty of lawsuits against them too.

Can we talk about this project, I was really enjoying the architecture discussion.

It not like they have 0 completed projects, they have 20 under construction. Not here and none to this scale, that is the debate, who is going to lend them construction dough?

[Finessing]

Originally Posted by OakbluffMB

+1



I'm sure there are bad google reviews for RBC, TD, BMO, BCE, Great-West Life, Manulife & plenty of lawsuits against them too.

Can we talk about this project, I was really enjoying the architecture discussion.

It not like they have 0 completed projects, they have 20 under construction. Not here and none to this scale, that is the debate, who is going to lend them construction dough?

For the millionth time, Fortress has zero completed projects (and zero that have even reached grade) as a developer. They have been involved in completed projects as a financier which is completely different.

[optimusREIM]

Edit: duplicate

[optimusREIM]

Originally Posted by Finessing

For the millionth time, Fortress has zero completed projects (and zero that have even reached grade) as a developer. They have been involved in completed projects as a financier which is completely different.

Why are you hell bent on being such a pessimist? We get it, Fortress is shady. Talk about beating a dead horse.

Getting back to the discussion.

In terms of the architecture, I'm a fan of the idea of putting high end penthouse units in the pentice. Those would immediately have a certain prestige because of the height of the building. The sky lounge idea is good although I agree that a blank facade on it is visually unapealing. That being said, if the building gets built as shown in the rendering I will be over the moon. We could really use a signature project like this right now.

[Urban recluse]

Yes, the skyline needs this tower.

[esquire]

Originally Posted by urbandreamer

Oh and another value engineering trick they use in Toronto: 8-8.5' ceiling heights.

So here's how they'll get this built:
1)Knock that hat off including the roof top amenities
2)lower ceiling heights: 8'-8'6"
3)2-3 storey flat-roofed podium with above grade parking
4)more units/floor: 12 instead of 11?
5)cheaper HVAC/elevator/plumbing stacks
6)under 35 storeys
7)simplified/cheaper window wall dressing
8)less amenities--the real amenity should be the location
9)lower grade cabinetry/flooring/appliances
10)smaller balconies
11)redesigned concrete forms using less material
12)delete the CRU

I would rather see 4-5 midrise buildings on the site.

Just bumping urbandreamer's crystal ball predictions for the value engineering phase.

Getting rid of the peak and cutting to under 35 storeys would really eliminate much of the building's prestige since at that point it would be nowhere near the tallest anymore. If the developer wants to make it less than 40 storeys, might as well knock it down to 22 and call it a day. Further to urbandreamer's point, that might be better from an urbanist perspective since presumably the excess demand could flow into other smaller projects to be built around downtown.

The good news is that there's enough action downtown that a scaled down Skycity would not be the end of the world. That fact alone is an accomplishment for downtown Winnipeg.

[robertocarlos]

I'm pretty sure that One Wellington was priced at $300k a floor when it was first built. The floors were unfinished.